The 2016 Christmas Cheers in Virac will start Dec. 13, or three days before the beginning of the Misa de Aguinaldo.

Organizers headed by the municipal government of Virac decided on the early start as the participating schools all prefer that their night performance be held before the Christmas break on Dec. 24-25.

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Proof that the economy of the capital town, and that of the province, is on the upswing is the scheduled opening of a branch of ChinaBank at the 888 Gold building in Salvacion. According to reports, the lease contract for the bank branch office has already been signed while the bank itself has began hiring employees.

Also setting up shop here is the Philippine franchisee of McDonald’s fastfood, which is still considering whether to locate inside the Virac Town Center or outside along a busy street.

There is also a rumor that the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is also establishing a branch, with a four-storey building being constructed right now the best candidate as its site.

Probably contributory to the banks’ and fastfood chain’s decision to locate in Virac is the latter’s growing population of middle class families as well as the perception that the administration of Mayor Samuel Laynes is much more business-friendly than his predecessor.

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Those who have not forgotten the question asked by the suffering market stall owners (How long is temporary?) will be glad to know that the municipal government is now moving to address the issue of the market.

Based on the decisions taken recently by the local chief executive with the support of Vice Mayor Arlynn Arcilla and the Sangguniang Bayan, there is a good chance that many of the stall owners who were told to vacate the building will be going back to the market.

The development, of course, is contingent on whether a structural assessment of the 45-year old edifice would recommend a retrofit so that the administration could pursue the retrofitting project as well as renovation of the building and redevelopment of surroundings.

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Regarding the raid conducted by eight armed men a day before the Nov. 24 operation of the police on the shabu laboratory at Palta Small in Virac, there appears to be no clue as to the identities of the raiders.

Although the NBI team that came her to probe the incident hinted that they knew the man with a scar on the face who was observed by witnesses, the authorities have yet to pinpoint who exactly was responsible.

Clad only in shorts, shirts and slippers, the men, were armed with M16 rifles and Cal. 45 pistols, one of them equipped with a silencer. They arrived on board motorcycles without plate numbers.

According to the caretaker, he was allowed to leave after leading the group to the warehouse. This raised doubt among probers as to his involvement in the shabu lab. An officer claims Pinera was more than just a caretaker of the nearby farm.

By his statement, he was not aware what the armed men did while they were at the shabu laboratory. What was certain is that shortly thereafter, Jason Uy and other Chinese were seen leaving the compound.

They could not have been NBI, although one of them could be. Certainly, outsiders would not bring in their own motorcycles through the ferry. The motorcycles were of local origin, with their plates removed.

Judging by the disengaged padlock at the warehouse door, it was the raiders who left the warehouse last. The owner would have locked the place up.

So how true is the rumor that members of a local police unit were the raiders and that an officer tried to coordinate with the Army battalion HQ at Lictin?

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ADMIRERS OF BEAUTY. Two men were admiring a famous actress.

“Still,” said one, “if you take away her fabulous hair, her magnificent breasts, her beautiful eyes, her perfect features, and her stunning figures, what are you left with?”